Emeka Esogbue

  Revisiting the Anioma Traditional Rulers Rejection of their Relocation to the East Central Region: History as a Repetition -        Emeka Esogbue Not many know that in history, the present Niger State, one of the nation’s 36 states in the North Central part of the country was originally intended for the Anioma people of Nigeria. In 1975, there was an agitation for the creation of more states in the country and a group started a rigorous campaign in which they sought to relocate the Anioma people from their Midwestern Region to the East Central to share a geographical space with other Igbo-speaking people but the Anioma traditional rulers rejected their relocation as well as a share of state with people who are not Anioma of the present Delta State. It was a firm decision taken by Anioma traditional rulers which eventually dissuaded the then Head of State, His Excellency Gen Yakubu Gowon from uniting the Anioma people with the Igbos of today’s S...

Not many have known that there are Yoruba settlements in Delta State, specifically among the Anioma people of today. This is because not much is known of the social history of the people (Anioma) now hugely located in Delta State. Researchers from the region really have a lot to dig into concerning the people. The Anioma people with heterogeneous origins are obviously some of the understudied people in Nigeria thus only very little documentations about the people are available. The dominant language of the people of this area is Igbo though, a few other languages are spoken within the region. Some of these few other languages spoken in the region are Oza or Ozzara spoken close to Edo. Some of the speakers of this particular language are: 1. Ozanogo 2. Alilehan 3. Alisor 4. Ozanogogo There is Igala, a language of the Igala ethnic group of Nigeria, mainly spoken by Ebu but, the Igala version of Ebu community has become fussed with Ishan because the Ebu migrants that took...